Fluid discharge gun



Jan. 22, 1963 w. R. sToNE 3,074,648

FLUID DISCHARGE GUN Filed April l2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E @n y R. m WWma m md mw K N llc R H T. Y m 5.2; WM use mm J| wO ZDm/\\ B m. EN w+* EQN f/ f QQ @4/ f www \`W&.. l 5.2; MM. fil nm MM. wm. V w I Il Tv I M m11% a \w\ d w i/ K MNQ VZ l mm. mwah@ 5 t Y k A .Tv l A l W o NN mw a a5.2;

Jan. 22, 1963 w. R. STONE 3,074,648

' FLUID DISCHARGE GUN Filed April 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 We?. l/NVEA/ron WNTHROP R. STONE SWW ATTOR Y United States Patent Oiice dlitiPatented dan. 22, lgii 3,674,648 I FLUED DESQHARGE (GUN Winthrop lit.Stone, Winfield, W. Va., assigner to Union (Iarhide Qorporation, acorporation of New York Filed Apr. l2, .11961, Ser. No. M2595 d@iai-ins. (Ci. Z39-197) The present invention relates to `a fluiddischarge gun for spray-feeding of fluids and more particularly to a gunfor feeding a wide variety of waste products into a furnace for disposalby burning. The materials that can be successfully handled may be ofvariable viscosity and com position, contain iiocculated or granularparticles and |be highly corrosive or erosive in nature.

Many industrial processes produce by-product waste materials which aredifficult of disposal since they vary in composition, consistency and inviscosity. Known waste burner guns which are adapted to handle aparticular waste substance efficiently are found to malfunction whenother substances are introduced to the waste stream. Not infrequently,waste product streams are found to contain foreign matter such as woodsplinters, fibers and metallic and organic scales which tend to clogports and orifices of known burner guns. Since waste materials derivefrom points at varying process pressures, and from different types ofpumps, according to particular systems, steady pressure cannot bemaintained at the burner gun. Known guns have been found to operateinefiiciently under varying input pressure. Waste materials which arecorrosive or erosive, or both, react with and cause severe wear on knownburner guns, necessitating their frequent replacement. Known burner gunshave also been found occasionally to heat to excess, causing the cokingof certain residue materials inside the gun and sometimes burning of thegun itself.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a unique residueburning gun which offers outstanding advantages over known burner gunsin versatility, reliability, long life, ease of rnaintainence, andoperating characteristics. The residue burning gun of the presentinvention provides for crushing of solid particles in the waste feedstream, adjusts to constant furnace feed rates for a wide variety ofupstream pumping apparatus over a wide pressure range, regardless of theviscosity or composition of the feed, and is self-adjusting andself-cleaning. The gun is also adapted for the easy replacement ofhigh-wear components, obviating the necessity of replacing the entireapparatus because of worn individual parts. Due to the use of especiallyhard materials at critical wear points, the gun has an extraordinarilylong operating life even when used with highly abrasive materials suchas sand and the like. The gun is also provided with a water jacket tocool the gun and feed stream and prevent burning the gun or coking ofwaste materials in the feed stream. When used with corrosive materials,the design of the apparatus of the present invention permits the use ofmaterials of construction capa-ble of withstanding the corrosion ofinternal parts without requiring the use of such materials for bodyportions of the apparatus.

In general, the apparatus of my invention comprises a fixed generallycylindrical hollow body portion, or barrel, adapted for mounting in afurnace wall, with a fuel inlet end exterior of the furnace and a nozzleend interior of the furnace. An elongate stern is concentricallydisposed and resiliently suspended in the body portion and movesreciprocally therein, according to gun body internal pressure workingagainst bias exerted by a resilient means connecting the body and thestern. An orifice of variable cross-section is defined at the nozzle endof the gun between matching surface portions of the body and the stem.For the reduction of solids occurring in the fluid stream, the gunincludes comrninuting means, said comminuting means comprisingcomponents axed to the body and .stem portions of the gun.

With the foregoing and other features in view, which shall more fullyhereinafter appear, the invention comprises novel constructions,combinations and arrangements of components as will now be described andas defined in the appended claims and as illustrated in preferredembodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FEGURE. 1 is an elevational longitudinal sectional view of the residueburning gun of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional View through a point adjacent the nozzleend of the gun of FIGURE 1 showing the concentric arrangement ofcomponent parts at that point and FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional Viewthrough a point adjacent the coolant ports showing the concentricarrangement of component parts at that point and the arrangement of thecoolant baflies.

In an embodiment of the apparatus of the present in* vention accordingto the drawings, a cylindrical body l1 of the gun is shown provided witha coolant inlet l5 and a coolant outlet i7. A pair of longitudinallyextending baffles l2 and lddivides chamber l into two end-connected fiowpaths to assure full length travel of the coolant. One end of the 'bodyll, which end shall for convenience be called the nozzle end, is formedto define a radial intrusion 19 bounded by a short axially extendingannular wall 2l and by axially and radially extending walls 23 and 25.The other end of body ll is formed to define a bolting flange Z7. A gunhead assembly 29, having a bolting ange 3l, which matches flange 27,includes a packing gland 33, `a packing follower 35, a spring seat base37 and an adjustable spring seat 39 threadedly engaged in the base 37and having an axially extending center bore therethrough.

A reciprocally movable stem assembly which shall be more completelydescribed below, extends through the gun body and gun head assembly landis held in coaxial alignment therewith 'by means of sliding contact withbearing liner 49, a centerbore in the flange portion of head assembly29, the packing follower 35 and the centerbore of spring seat 39. A coilspring 65 is installed, biased compressively, between spring seat 39 onthe gun head assembly `and a spring seat component on the sternassemlbly in a manner which tends to close the nozzle end of the gun.

To assemble the gun 4according to the drawing, a gasket fil, an annularseat ring i3 and a gasket 45 are inserted into body il. from the flangedend and are positioned against wall 2.3 of radial intrusion 19. A sleevebearing d'7' with a bearing liner t9 is next inserted from the body 1lflanged end. Bearing liner :t9 is provided with an axially extendingannular protrusion having an outer periphery which engages the innercircumferential wall of seat ring 43 in a close tit to concentricallyalign the several parts. A backing plate 5l is next inserted to fitbehind the sleeve bearing and bearing liner. The rearwardly projectingportion of backing plate 5l, i.e., the face away from the nozzle end ofthe gun body, is provided with a male hub which engages an interior Wallof one end of a gun liner sleeve 53, which liner sleeve extendscoaxially inside gun body lli, defining a small annular space betweenits outer peripheral wall and v body interior wall with a non-congealinglubricating compound which can facilitate disassembly of the gun.

A breech 57, provided with a fuel or residue entry port 59 is mountedbetween the anges 27 vand 3l, which are provided with `facia recesses toaccommodate the breech ends. Gaskets (il are installed in the flangefacia [recesses to effect sealing and the `assembly is secured by acircumferential array of bolts o3.

rl`he movable stem portion of the gun is comprised mainly of arelatively thin hollow cylindrical stem piston 67 having a radiallyenlarged head e? of a circumference greater than the inner circumferenceof radial intrusion i9 at the nozzle end of the gun body. Stern head 69is provided with a rearwardly extending (i.e., to the left in thedrawing) relatively sharp annular projection deiined by the respectiveaxially and radially extending surfaces 7l and 73. The movable stemportion of the gun is assembled by first arranging a gasket 75, a valvedisc 77 and a gasket 79 in the recess under stern head 69 dened bysurface 7l and the end of stem piston 67. A iluted ferrule Sd, having amultiplicity of axially extending circumferentially spaced ilutes S3, isassembled be hind gasket 79. Ferrule til is essentially a hollow cylider having an inside diameter to lit slidably over stein piston 67 andan outside diameter to lit slidably inside liner 49 of sleeve bearing57, seat ring i3 and backing plate Si. T he liutes S3 in ferrule Sl canbe milled or otherwise formed in the peripheral surface of the ferruleand extend for slightly less than the ferrule full length.

ln the preferred embodiment of apparatus according to my invention, theilute depths are diminished to meet the outer circumference of theferrule at the ferrule end faces. A gasket 85 and a locking nut 37 arethen installed to complete the stem lassembly at the nozzle end of thegun.

The partially assembled stem portion is then inserted, thin end rst,through the nozzle end of gun body Ell, seat ring 43, bearing liner 49',backing plate Sil, liner sleeve 53, opening 56 in retainer 55, breech57, the centerbore in flange 3l of the head assembly, packing 33,packing follower 3S and the centerbore of spring seat 39.

Coil spring 65 is then installed over the end of stem piston o7projecting from spring seat '39 and spring seat 89 is assembled over thespring and stern piston. A cylindrical headpiece 91, which is acombination coolant connector and lassembly loclr nut is axiallycenterbored and threaded to screw onto threads on the projecting end ofpiston stern 67. Headpiece 9i is also Provided with a tapped counterboreconcentric with the center-bore, into which counterbore is screwed along relatively thin coolant conduit 93 which extends from the headpiece91 through stem piston 67 to a point just opposite the interior wall ofstem head 69. In the preferred embodiment, this interior wall isprovided with a conically projecting flow divider 95 arranged in theflow path of coolant emerging from the nozzle end of coolant conduit 93.Coolant inlet 97 which connects to the tapped counter bore and coolantoutlet 99 which connects to the interior `of stem piston 67, are alsoprovided in headpiece 9i.

In operation, any suitable coolant, such as water, is introduced underpressure through coolant inlet 97 to conduit 93 from which it emerges inpiston head 69 opposite flow divider 95, lls the cooling chamber in thepiston head, iiows back through the annular space ened by the outersurface of conduit 93 and the inner wall of stem piston 67 anddischarges through coolant outlet 99. Coolant is also supplied to thebody portion of the gun through inlet yl whence it ilows through a firsthalf-annular portion of cooling chamber 13 to the nozzle end of the gun,around the baffle ends and back through a second half-annular portion ofchamber l to the coolant outlet i7. The type or coolant used, thepressure, ow rate, temperature control, recirculation systems and othermatters of concern in cooling will vary depending von the particularapplications and environments in which the apparatus of my invention isused. Here it should be noted that, since headpiece @l is reciprocallymovable along with the movable stem portion of the gun, cooling systemconnections are best made thereto by means of flexible conduits.

The gun is mounted in a furnace `fall .vith the nozzle end projectinginto a combustion chamber. Conduit containing the fluid to be introducedinto the furnace through the gun, is connected to the breech at iiuidentry port Under pressure of the fluid system, the fluid i lls thebreech, ilows through the opening in sleeve retainer 55 into the annularspace defined by the inner wall of liner sleeve 53 and the outer surfaceof stem piston 67, through the flutes 83 in ferrule Si and out of thenozzle end of the gun through the fuiste-conical aperture deiinedbetween the parallel axially and radially extending surfaces of seatring i3 and valve disc 77. Here it should be noted that this aperture isin effect an automatic nozzle port for the gun. Spring o5 is cornpressedby adjustment of spring seat 39 to a bias which effects full closure ofthe aperture between seat ring d3 :and valve disc 77 up to a preselectedfluid pressure and then a grad-ual opening of the aperture according topressure of the fluid system.

Solid particles such as wood bers and organic granular material collectat the nozzle aperture. When they build up or agglomerato suliciently to`attenuate the discharge, backpressure builds up in the gun, causing thestem piston to move, opening the aperture Wider and permitting dischargeof the obstructing material into the combustion zone of the furnace.After each such occurrence, the return of the valve disc to its originalposition with respect to seat ring 43 is automatically accomplished bythe biased spring 65.

The reciprocal movement of the stem portion of the gun also causesrelative movement of uted ferrule 83 with respect to the several partswithin which it is arranged. This action not only has a comminutingeifect on most contaminant particles but also prevents clogging byparticles too hard to be commiuuted. Some cominiuution also takes placein the nozzle laperture itself due to the relative movement of theaperture walls defined by the parallel-extending opposed surfaces onseat ring and valve disc '77. Thus, it will be seen that the apparatusof the present invention comprises a residue burning gun which not onlycomminutes inost contaminant particles occurring in the feed fuelstream, but which also adjusts to discharge particles which cannot beeiectively comminuted during passage through the gun. Fluted ferrule tilsliding in backing plate 5l and bearing liner d@ with a close clearanceacts to crush and shear any oversized granular or fibrous solidparticles entering the flutes 83. This autom-atie reduction of solidsgreatly reduces the fouling tendency at the discharge nozzle of the gunand makes for smoother operation.

With the foregoing description in mind, mechanically skilled persons canreadily select suitable materials of construction and can adapt theapparatus of my invention to particular applications. it will beapparent from the description that the parts of the apparatus which aremost subject to corrosive or erosive attrition such as gun liner sleeve55, bearing liner 49, ferrule dll, seat ring 43, valve disc 77 andsimilarly related parts are readily replaceable, obviating the need toreplace main body portions of the gun. This design feature also permitsthe use of materials of construction able to withstand corrosion anderosion without requiring the use of such relatively eXpensive materialsfor body portions of the device.

In a particular embodiment of apparatus according to the presentinvention, la residue burning gun was designed and constructed to injectwaste fluids from hydrocarbon production processes into an industrialpower plant boiler, under pressures of from 400 p.s.i.g. to 600 p.s.i.g.Bearing liner 49, ferrule ill, backing plate 5l, gun liner sleeve 53,`and the stem head 69 arefabricated from Stainless fr was steel. Valvedisc 77 and seat ring 43 are made from tungsten carbide, all gaskets areof soft aluminum and body 11, head assembly 29 and other parts were ofmild steel.

This gun was installed where severa-l standard commercially availableresidue burning guns had previously been used with less thansatisfactory results. Prior to the installation of the apparatus of thepresent invention, malfunctioning due to clogging and plugging of knownapparatus occurred continually at periods of from one hour or less up tomaximum operating times of six to eight hours. Routine cessation ofresidue waste feeding and removal and cleaning of the then usedapparatus was required. Excessive abrasion and corrosion -occurred onthese guns when kept in this service for only short periods of time.Some of the known guns employed required steam or air serviceconnections for atomizing the fluid residues. It was also found that,even when these known guns were running unclogged, there wasconsiderable diiculty in maintaining feed rate control. Waste typeresidue feed streams comprise portions which are thin and watery,portions of varying viscosity emulsions and portions of heavy, tarryfluid, all interspersed with fibrous and granular solid contaminants.Thus, the tendency of standard commercially available guns is to yfeedtoo much thin watery residue, too little of heavy emulsion or tarrycomponents and to clog and shut off completely when solid contaminantssuch as Wood fiber occur in the -feed stream.

After the installation of apparatus according to the present inventionin place where `a standard commercially available burner gun had beenused, the apparatus of the present invention operated continually for `aperiod of approximately nine months without malfunction and with no downtime occurring due to either plugging or mechanical failure. During thisnine month -period approximately 2,000,000 pounds of hydrocarbonproduction process waste residues, along With varying small amounts ofother residues, were processed through the gun. At the end of thisperiod of duty, the gun was taken out of service, dismantled andinspected to determine the conditions of internal parts. It was foundthat all of the internal parts were in good condition. The bottomsurfaces of the inlet ends of the flutes 83 on ferrule 81 were found tobe slightly eroded. This component, since it is formed symmetrically,was turned around upon reassembly to present new Wearing surfaces to theflow stream. It should be noted here that lluted ferrule 81 is one ofthose parts expected to wear and be replaced as occasion requires. 'I'hetungsten carbide seat ring 43 and valve disc 77 showed so littleevidence of wear as to not even require refacing or grinding.

Since many changes could be made in the specific cornbinations ofapparatus here disclosed and many apparently dierent embodiments of thisinvention can be made without departing from the scope thereof, it isintended that all matter contained in the foregoing description andshown in the accompanying drawing shall -be interpreted as beingillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid residue burning lgun comprising, in combination, a fixedgenerally cylindrical hollow body portion and a stem portionconcentrically disposed with respect to said body portion to define afluid passage terminating in a variable size fluid discharge aperture,fluid inlet means connecting to said passage adapted for connection to aconduit containing pressurized fluid to be discharged through the gun,resilient means connecting said body portion and said stem portionadapted to exert Aa preselected resilient bias on said stem portion in adirection opposite 6 fluid pressure-induced movement of said stem, saiddirection being a direction of movement tending to close the fluiddischarge aperture and coolant passages disposed in said body portionand in said stem portion, adapted for connection to circulating coolantcooling systems.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with comminuting meansadapted for the reduction of solids occurring in fluids dischargedthrough the gun, said comminuting means comprising la rst componentaffixed to the body portion of the gun and -a second component affixedto the stern portion of the gun.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with replaceable firstcomminuting means adapted for continual compressive reduction of solidsoccurring in uids discharged through the gun, said first comminutingmeans comprising two gener-ally conical and substantially matchingsurfaces, yone of said surfaces being on a component aflxed to the bodyportion of the gun and the other of said surfaces being on a componentaflixed to the stem portion of the gun and replaceable secondcomminuting means adapted for continual shearing reduction of solidsoccurring in fluids discharged through the gun, said second comminutingmeans comprising a hollow cylindrical liner arranged and disposedlongitudinally in the fixed portion of the Igun and a cylindricallongitudinally surface fluted ferrule on the stem portion of the gunarranged to move reciprocally in the hollow cylindrical liner.

4. A fluid discharge gun comprising, in combination, a fixed generallycylindrical hollow body portion, -a stern portion arrangedlongitudinally and concentrically with respect to said body portion todefine a fluid passage terminating in a variable size fluid dischargeaperture having a frusto conical shape, fluid inlet means connecting tosaid fluid passage adapted for connection to a conduit containingpressurized uid to be discharged through the gun, resilient meansconnecting said body portion and said stern portion arranged `anddisposed to exert a preselected resilient bias on said stern portion ina direction opposite fluid pressure-induced movement of said stem, saiddirection being a direction of movement tending to close the fluiddischarge aperture, first comminuting means adapted for continualcompressive reduction of solids occurring in fluids discharged throughthe gun, said first comminuting means comprising two generally conicaland substantially matching surfaces, one of said surfaces being on acomponent aflixed to the body portion of the gun and the other of saidsurfaces being on a component aflixed to the stem portion of the gun andreplaceable second cornminuting means ladapted for continual shearingreduction of solids occurring in fluids discharged through the gun, saidsecond comminuting means comprising a hollow cylindrical liner arrangedand disposed longitudinally in the fixed portion of the gun and acylindrical longitudif nally surface fluted ferrule on the ste-m portionof the gun arranged to move reciprocally in the hollow cylindricalliner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS426,805 Hanford Apr. 29, 1890 949,360 Kinealy Feb. 15, 1910 1,195,080Pettit Aug. 15, 11916 2,621,083 Daniels Dec. 7, 1952 2,868,587 HegemannJan. 13, 1959 2,963,958 Shames et al. May 17, 1960 2,968,443 ManningIan. 17, 19611 2,990,123 Hyde June 27, 1961

1. A FLUID RESIDUE BURNING GUN COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIXEDGENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW BODY PORTION AND A STEM PORTIONCONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID BODY PORTION TO DEFINE AFLUID PASSAGE TERMINATING IN A VARIABLE SIZE FLUID DISCHARGE APERTURE,FLUID INLET MEANS CONNECTING TO SAID PASSAGE ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO ACONDUIT CONTAINING PRESSURIZED FLUID TO BE DISCHARGED THROUGH THE GUN,RESILIENT MEANS CONNECTING SAID BODY PORTION AND SAID STEM PORTIONADPATED TO EXERT A PRESELECTED RESILIENT BIAS ON SAID STEM PORTION IN ADIRECTION OPPOSITE FLUID PRESSURE-INDUCED MOVEMENT OF SAID STEM, SAIDDIRECTION BEING A DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT TENDING TO CLOSE THE FLUIDDISCHARGE APERTURE AND COOLANT PASSAGES DISPOSED IN SAID BODY PORTIONAND IN SAID STEM PORTION, ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO CIRCULATING COOLANTCOOLING SYSTEMS.